Library On Main

Came in on a Thursday evening around 8pm. There were plenty of tables open and we were promptly seated.
Our waitress seemed busy and took a while to take our order, saying, «I hope I gave you enough time to look at the menu.»
We started with a greyhound ($ 14), which was fairly strong, but light on the grapefruit flavor.
I got the pork ribs ($ 14), which had 4 decently-​sized pieces laid on a bed of mashed corn stuff (tomalito?) which was surprisingly delicious! The pork was fairly peppery and there was only a fair amount of meet on the bone. I would argue the corn stuff was more tasty!
My boyfriend had the burger ($ 13). It was well cooked with decent seasoning. The toppings seemed fresh and the fries were only lightly salted, which I appreciated.
During our hour there, we only received a refill on water once. I kept trying to get the attention of our waitress, but she seemed pretty busy. I would have appreciated water refills more frequently.
Overall, I don’t think I will come back due to the lack of attention from the wait staff. Plus, we spent $ 50 for «dinner» that barely satisfied my slight hunger.

Love this placw. Great place to catch up with friends, enjoy snacks and drinks. I love their drinks! Quality

Quality cocktails here at this venue. Very friendly staff, great description of cocktail types as well as a flavorful happy hour menu, and a great old fashioned. Will be back next time I’m on this side.

My date met me at BART and we walked here. We didn’t have to wait for a seat since it was 6:30 on a Friday night, but the place eventually filled up. I never got to come here when it was Eleve so I’m not sure how different the menu is. We both ordered cocktails. I got their Bourbon Cocktail, simply put. We also ordered the Mac N Cheese and the Roasted Beet Salad. I wasn’t too hungry, but I really enjoyed the salad. I wasn’t too impressed by the Mac N Cheese.
One thing that I did find strange, is that they seem to go for a literary theme, but it’s not carried throughout the restaurant. If you are going for a theme, go all out. Don’t be shy. On the plus side, they do have TVs to watch the Warriors!

Grabbed dinner on a Saturday night and wouldn’t recommend it. The drinks are good and nicely presented, but a bit expensive for what you’re getting.
The food and service left a lot to be desired. We felt like the kitchen was trying to be Va de Vi on the cheap. The ceviche was more of a salsa dish with only a few pieces of fish. The kale salad tasted like it went straight from the packaging to the bowl with dressing thrown on. The meatballs were the only thing that we thought were notable.
Service needs major improvement. We sat for 15 minutes before anyone approached us. No water was offered and no silverware came with the dishes, which is odd considering these are all shared plates.
Trying to cut corners to maximize the margin is going to come back and hurt this place. $ 75 bill for a few shared plates and 2 drinks is steep, especially considering the quality of what we received.

Visiting family in Walnut Creek, we came to the Library for a fun dinner. Ordered lots of small plates to share. Shrimp, Brussel sprouts, Mac n cheese, beet salad and mushrooms. Everything was delicious!

Average bar atmosphere.
We stopped in with no expectations on our way to another event in WC.
Khai provided very hospitable service although the first person we came in contact with (30 ish female) was lukewarm in her greeting and seating. Food was mixed bag. Wedge salad was fresh, but the nachos we unimpressive as the cheese was melted but cold. Eh.
Vodka mules were nice and refreshing.

Went here with a group of couples. Nice place with some great cocktails and great food.
I would recommend getting the burger and then the Mac n’ cheese and some small plates and just share. The food is really good and the vibe in the place is nice.
The beer prices are actually pretty cheap which is great. You have to go for a cocktail though!

I’ll keep this short. $ 50 and I am still hungry. Shame on me for ordering a tomato salad in the winter time. Ribs were good. Wine was fine. Nice atmosphere. Good service. It’s not extraordinary to charge these prices in Walnut Creek but I think the places that do it well are more memorable.

I’m not sure it truly cracks 4 stars just yet, but it’s at least a 3.5 and it’s definitely earned a return trip. This location has been troubled for years and has changed hands about once every couple years. I’m hopeful that the Library goes the distance.
My wife and I ordered the fish and chips and the steak frites respectively. Both were very good. No complaints, but nothing really groundbreaking here. The dish that stood out the most was the beet salad we started with. Perfectly balanced and a beautiful presentation. Next time I go back it’s going to be all the small plates. I think that might be the sweet spot for the library.
The library motif is cute but inside the décor still feels a little cold. I hope they keep working on the décor to add some warmth to the place.

Really great pork chops and beet salad! Generally, the menu features tapas style dishes that were great to share. The décor was book– themed and interesting. Wish they had more of a dessert selection. Definitely would try it again to experience more dishes.

Such a cute place! Love this place, kind of reminds me of Novela in SF. It is classy, the ambience is nice and chill and the drinks were yummy. Got the calamari, wasn’t too impressed. But id rather come here for a drink so…4 stars it is!

Awesome Food and Service! It’s a great place to meet friends or clients. I love the cocktails as well.

I cannot speak highly enough of the bar at this establishment. Everything, even the well selection, is well thought out and carried through meticulously. The cocktail menu is creative and classical both, with every touch being attended to. We WILL be back.

Ehhh I’m not really a fan… I preferred the dishes when this restaurant was Eleve.
The dishes now are more mainstream plain and bland. You can get better food at cheesecake factory-​… need I say more. Service is A++ hands down but I will not be back– maybe if I am in the area and want to grab a quick cocktail?

Food is mediocre and the service is so slow. We sat outside so maybe it was harder to remember us but it took 20 minted to get our first drinks! It took forever for the rest of the other drinks and for our food.

I’ll start this review with I have worked in the restaurant industry before, as a server, a bartender, and a GM.
My girlfriend and I live down the street from the library, and we’re excited to see a new establishment come in. The first time we went, the food was pretty good, the service was on par — I had the steak frites, we had the wings and the Mac n cheese as an appetizer, and she had the scampi. Other than the steak and frites, the dishes were under seasoned, but nothing too bad.
So we came back about a week later — However, tonight was a sad indication of how the later night crowd is handled. My girlfriend and I had eaten dinner already and came by for a night cap.
First off, the drinks on the menu are top end for walnut creek — $ 12 each. Second off, I was never spoken to by a bartender, but by a bar back/​waiter behind the bar. He was nice, and was very relateable, but that’s about it. For the record, between everyone that was behind the bar tonight, he should be the head bartender.
As we sat there, I saw multiple things happen — one, that the bartender interrupted my server mid conversation with me (or barback, he was mainly taking orders, not pouring drinks at all) to show him how to do something along the lines of how to run a credit tip.
Second, the service was just an all around struggle — yes, the drinks were good, but there were 2 bartenders and a barback, and maybe a total of 15 people in the bar, and it took them 20 minutes to make my drink — what I was drinking was on their cocktail menu, and wasn’t difficult to make. I watched a few people walk in, wait for at least 5 minutes, and then walk out after not being served or greeted by the bartenders.
We got there at around 10, and stayed for around an hour. Granted, I don’t know what time they’re open till on weekends, but the head bartender was cleaning wells and wiping down bottles for at least half of the time while we waited for our drinks without calling last call.
If I had any suggestions to make, it would just be that while the library has a great atmosphere, it is a new establishment and focusing on the little things goes a long way.

We went for the soft opening. The place is really cute and nice to hang out at. The cocktails are good, but the beer list was limited. The Fort Bragg Pilsner was terrible.

Went with a group of 4 others on Saturday night. We got a seat quickly, but that was about the extent of the good service. We ordered our drinks and a couple of appetizers. The drinks came quickly, the appetizers took a while. We had to ask for plates and silverware after receiving one of the two appetizers, and they only brought enough for half of us. We had to ask a second time when our other appetizer came out.
Once our appetizers were finished, we sat for about 15 minutes waiting for the waitress to come back. When she did come back she checked on drinks and was about to leave without taking a meal order. I had to initiate that we were ready to order. It took about half an hour after we ordered for the food to start coming out. It would have been acceptable had they been busy, but they were not.
Pros:
The chicken wings and pork belly appetizers were great!
Cons:
–If you order the burger, expect it to be over cooked. Two orders, both for medium-​rare and both came out well done. It wasn’t worth sending back because of the length of time it took to even get the food.
–Chicken and waffles was so-​so. The flavor of the chicken wings was better than the chicken with the meal. The waffles were lukewarm.
–Don’t order the prawn appetizer. It’s listed as jumbo prawns, but your $ 11 gets four small shrimp. The flavor was ok, but not great and they were a bit chewy.
–Poor, slow service.
–Overpriced for the size and quality of food and drinks.

Outstanding transformation of Elevé, from the atmosphere to the cocktails to the food… especially the food!
American fare with some unique and exciting details, everything is outstanding. The plates are easy to share and deliver a range of tastes and textures. Library on Main puts the kind of passion, care, and overall quality that you usually only find in big cities. Unlike many corporate owned restaurants, the team that is preparing your food/​drinks are the ones that conceived them, so every little details is considered, every time.
I can’t say enough good things about this place and I hope you feel as welcome and inspired on your visit as I have on mine.